1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pivot arm that can support a surgical instrument during a medical procedure.
2. Background Information
There have been developed surgical robots that assist surgeons in performing medical procedures. By way of example, the assignee of the present invention, Computer Motion, Inc. of Goleta, Calif. sells a medical robotic arm under the trademark AESOP and a medical robotic system under the trademark ZEUS. The AESOP product includes a robotic arm that can be controlled through a foot pedal or voice commands from the surgeon. The AESOP arm is typically used to move an endoscope that is inserted into a patient during a laparoscopic procedure. The ZEUS system includes multiple robotic arms that can control surgical instrument used to perform minimally invasive procedures. The ZEUS robotic arms are controlled by handles that are manipulated by the surgeon.
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures can be performed minimally invasively using the ZEUS and AESOP products. The surgical instruments and endoscope are inserted through small incisions created in the chest of the patient. The robotic arms include both active and passive joints that move the instruments and endoscope about corresponding pivot points. The pivot points are created by the incisions formed in the patient.
Some surgeons are uncomfortable performing minimally invasive CABG procedures and will only perform the procedure with an opened chest cavity. There may still be a desire to utilize robotic arms to control the instruments even during an open chest procedure. For example, the ZEUS system will filter the natural hand tremor of the surgeon.
There are no incisions or corresponding pivot points in an open chest procedure. Unfortunately, the ZEUS and AESOP systems will not function properly without the pivot points created by the incisions. It is therefore desirable to create a pivot point for the robotic arms to function during a non-minimally invasive procedure.
Computer motion has provided a support arm that could support an instrument during a non-minimally invasive procedure. The instrument could be inserted through a diaphragm located at the distal end of the arm. The diaphragm provided some flexibility to pivot the instrument but not enough to allow sufficient movement by a robotic arm to perform most medical procedures.